Nice

Nice (pronounced like the English word "niece") is a large city in France on the French Riviera. It's a popular destination for vacationers both young and old, with something to offer nearly everyone. It is well known for the beautiful view on the Promenade des Anglais, its famous waterfront, and is an ethnically diverse port city.

Nice's origins can be found among the Gallo-Roman ruins of Cimiez, in the hills up the boulevard de Cimiez from downtown. Cimiez also contains a monastery and some museums, but nowadays, most of the city's inhabitants live closer to sea level. Nice was part of the Italian Duchy of Savoia and then the Kingdom of Sardinia until it was ceded to France as late as 1860. The ancient local language is Nissart, and some of the street signs are bilingual. However very few people speak Nissart, and even the elderly know and speak French. Don't assume everyone you encounter will speak English — an effort at French will always be appreciated.

The greatest thing to see in Nice is the views along the Promenade des Anglais, which skirts the seacoast for over 5 km, then ends at Nice Airport. These are the views you will have seen in dozens of postcards and in paintings by the 20th-century artist, Henri Matisse, who spent so many years living in Nice, but whether you've seen pictures or not, you owe it to yourself to walk along some of this stretch if you have made it to Nice.

• Colline du Château. The castle hill overlooking the Baie des Anges and harbour offers a spectacular vantage point overlooking the city. Not much is left of its ruined castle besides crumbling walls. Still, climbing up the stairs to reach the platforms 90 m above Nice is well worth the view. There is also a lift (ascenseur) which will take you three quarters of the way up. The castle hill park closes at around sunset. Expect to be escorted outside if you stay longer. Nice is also known for several museums. Some of the most famous are in Cimiez, the older, upper part of the city which in a previous century was a favourite of Queen Victoria, including:
• Musée des Arts asiatiques, 405, Promenade des Anglais (Just across the street from the airport, +33 492 293700. 2 May to 15 October: 10:00-18:00; 16 October to 30 April: 10:00-17:00. Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and world art in great architecture on a lake. Free visit, conference, Qi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan.
• Parc Phoenix, 405 Promenade des Anglais, +33 4 92 29 77 00. daily, Apr-Sep: 09:30-19:30, Oct-Mar: 09:30-18:30. 2500 different plants in botanical garden and tropical glass house. Also various animals. €2.
• Musée Marc Chagall, Avenue du Docteur Ménard 36, +33 4 93 53 87 28. May-Oct: 10:00-18:00; Nov-Apr: 10:00-17:00; Jan 01, May 01, Dec 25 closed. Even if you are not into art this is a museum which should not be missed. It includes stained glass windows by the artist. Full rate: €10, Reduced rate : €6, Free: Students below 26 and for everybody every first Sunday of the month.
• Musée Matisse, 164, Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez (Buses 15, 22, 17, 20, +33 4 9381 0808. daily except Tu, 10:00-16:00. Charming collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures in 17th century Genoese villa €10.
• Musée d'Archeologie de Nice, +33 4 9381 5957. daily except Tu, 10:00-18:00. The ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez, plus a museum with nice documentation on Gallo-Roman life (but mostly not in English). Activities for children. Free entry; €3 guided tours.

The old town (Vieux Nice) beneath the hill is a maze of streets and alleys, with many picturesque houses, boutiques and home to the daily flower and fruit market of the Cours Saleya. In addition, the local cathedral, the Baroque Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, in the heart of Vieux Nice, is pretty. You'll want to walk through the Place Sainte-Réparate, anyway, while you're in the old city. If the doors are open, go in and look at the interior and paintings.

Just N of old town is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMAC; open Tu-Su, €10) with four connected towers featuring modern and contemporary artists and their sculptures, paintings, and conceptual installations. Its open-air roof terraces offer one of the best panoramas of the city.

To the west, there is the Musee des Beaux-Arts housing an excellent collection of pastels and other works by Jules Cheret, among other artists.

Colline du Château. The castle hill overlooking the Baie des Anges and harbour offers a spectacular vantage point overlooking the city. Not much is left of its ruined castle besides crumbling walls. Still, climbing up the stairs to reach the platforms 90 m above Nice is well worth the view. There is also a lift (ascenseur) which will take you three quarters of the way up. The castle hill park closes at around sunset. Expect to be escorted outside if you stay longer.

Musée des Arts asiatiques, 405, Promenade des Anglais (Just across the street from the airport, +33 492 293700. 2 May to 15 October: 10:00-18:00; 16 October to 30 April: 10:00-17:00. Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and world art in great architecture on a lake. Free visit, conference, Qi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan.

Parc Phoenix, 405 Promenade des Anglais, +33 4 92 29 77 00. daily, Apr-Sep: 09:30-19:30, Oct-Mar: 09:30-18:30. 2500 different plants in botanical garden and tropical glass house. Also various animals. €2.

Musée Marc Chagall, Avenue du Docteur Ménard 36, +33 4 93 53 87 28. May-Oct: 10:00-18:00; Nov-Apr: 10:00-17:00; Jan 01, May 01, Dec 25 closed. Even if you are not into art this is a museum which should not be missed. It includes stained glass windows by the artist. Full rate: €10, Reduced rate : €6, Free: Students below 26 and for everybody every first Sunday of the month.

Musée Matisse, 164, Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez (Buses 15, 22, 17, 20, +33 4 9381 0808. daily except Tu, 10:00-16:00. Charming collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures in 17th century Genoese villa €10.

Musée d'Archeologie de Nice, +33 4 9381 5957. daily except Tu, 10:00-18:00. The ruins of the Gallo-Roman settlement in Cimiez, plus a museum with nice documentation on Gallo-Roman life (but mostly not in English). Activities for children. Free entry; €3 guided tours.

If you go to Nice for bathing or general lounging on the beach, you may wish to think again. The beaches of Nice consist entirely of large flat stones (gallets). A few private beaches have added a layer of sand, but the free public beaches are a stony experience. Besides towels or mats, you should definitely bring sandals, since walking on the stones can be painful, and a cushion if you want to sit. Free showers are provided on all public beaches and there is a beach volleyball area that is netted off with white sand.

Although the beaches are mainly pebbles it is important to note that many visitors enjoy the beautiful light blue sea for a swim. If you can bear to walk for a few steps on the pebbles it is definitely an opportunity for swimming rather than playing in the water as the beach drops quickly and the tidal pull can be very strong, and not for beginners. Lying on the beach for a sun tan or relaxation is also manageable as long as you rearrange the rocks/pebbles to a comfy surface for sitting and lying. Private beaches offer various services from restaurants/bars to the rental of lounge chairs and towels.

Much nicer beaches exist in other towns close by, such as Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes and Cannes, which are far more sandy. Villefranche is a particularly preferred beach choice, especially if travelling with children, only twenty minutes away by the TAM 100 bus.

However, for walks by the seaside with great views, the Promenade des Anglais is arguably unparalleled.

For views of Nice the best vantage point is the heights of Mont Boron (bus 14). From the derelict old Fort and the nearby villa of Sir Elton John there are fine views over the city to the mountains and east over Villefranche and Cap Ferat.

Go to Èze. It is a small village on the way to Monaco. The village is situated on a small mountain and there is a beautiful cactus garden with a spectacular view (a must see, €5 entrance fee). There is also Fragonard perfume factory which you can visit for free. To reach Eze by bus, take the 112 to Eze Village (not the 100 which stops at Eze Gare, a 90 minute steep walk away from Eze Village). If you missed an infrequent (up to 3 hours) 115 bus in Eze Village, there is a path that goes down the mountain from Eze Village to Eze Sur Mer (also Eze Gare). This is the Path of Nietzsche (named after the famous German philosopher Friedrich W. Nietzsche), with some fantastic views and a waterfall (if you know where to look). Walking downhill through this path takes about 40 minutes. Buses run from Menton-Monaco through Eze Gare back to Nice every 15 minutes or so and vice versa, making treking back up the hill unnecessary.

Also close by is the magnificent Villa ile de France, of the Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild, straddling the magnificent peninsula of St Jean Cap Ferrat in the so-called Golden Triangle of Villefranche, Beaulieu and Cap Ferrat.

Hiking trails emanate from La Turbie high above Monaco and the Grande Corniche, which are double the height above sea level of Eze and offer the hardened walker truly spectacular vantage points over the Riviera.

• Cliff Walk. You can follow the path around Cap de Nice half way to Villefranche, but be prepared for several hundred steps up to rejoin the road. It’s a very beautiful walk and you will find mostly local people using it.

Cliff Walk. You can follow the path around Cap de Nice half way to Villefranche, but be prepared for several hundred steps up to rejoin the road. It’s a very beautiful walk and you will find mostly local people using it.

• Opéra Nice Cote d'Azur, 4 & 6 rue Saint-François de Paule (In Vieux Nice near the Cours Saleya. Free parking at Palais de Justice and Cours Saleya, +55 04 92 17 40 00. This opera house hosts not only opera performances but also many concerts of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and chamber music recitals, and some ballet performances. The house's website is in French only, but even if you don't read French well, you should be able to make out the information on their calendar (calendrier).

Opéra Nice Cote d'Azur, 4 & 6 rue Saint-François de Paule (In Vieux Nice near the Cours Saleya. Free parking at Palais de Justice and Cours Saleya, +55 04 92 17 40 00. This opera house hosts not only opera performances but also many concerts of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and chamber music recitals, and some ballet performances. The house's website is in French only, but even if you don't read French well, you should be able to make out the information on their calendar (calendrier).

Most stores and restaurants in Nice will accept the major credit cards, and debit cards from major banks (anything carrying the EC or Maestro or Visa logos). If this fails you can always get money from any of the numerous ATMs.

All shops are now allowed to open every Sunday and, as of November 2010, at least the following had started to open every Sunday: H&M, Zara, Fnac, Bershka, Celio, Virgin Megastore, and Spar. Some locations of Galleries Lafayette are now open several Sundays each month but not all of them, the same goes for Nice Etoile Shopping Centre.

Postcards (as many other things) vary greatly in price. Do some comparison shopping as the price range is between 20 cents and €1 for a normal postcard. Typically they will set you back 25 cents each (June 2009).

Nice's main shopping street av. Jean Medecin is home to two giant music/entertainment stores, Virgin Megastore and the French FNAC. FNAC definitely has the edge as their many listening stations allow you to "try before you buy" almost every CD in the house, whilst Virgin push only a few promotional selections. Both run near identical pricing policy on new albums. FNAC is closer to HMV, offering most forms of entertainment including books, games, CDs, and DVDs. The 4-story store on Av. Jean Medecin is well worth exploring!

Designer label garments are, as everywhere, notoriously expensive but general fashion goods are really cheap compared to most other European countries, and Galleries Lafayette offers a lot under one roof. If that's not enough for you, they also have a huge superstore at Cap 3000 just next to St Laurent de Var past the airport (Lignes d Azur 52 and TAM bus 200, 400 and 500, stop La Passerelle). This is also home to Galleries Lafayette Gourmand, a food superstore to rival London's Harrods and Selfridges. The wine selection is brilliant, especially aisles full of Rose de Provence, and there are a half-dozen in-store lunch-time places.

Cheap bargain fashions are best sought at Ventimiglia's huge open street market each Friday, accessible by train from Nice Gare Ville to Ventimiglia a few kilometres over the Italian border. Just avoid the tempting fake luxury brands sold by the many street sellers. The war against counterfeiting is taken very seriously by the French border police and big fines are targeted at "innocent" tourists.

The central Nice Etoiles is available for anyone pining for a visit to a shopping mall, including three floors of a Dutch brand not seen by British people for 20 years that is still big in France - C&A. More nostalgia can also be found in av Jean Medecins' "Damart" - yes, the people that gave you "Thermolactyl underwear" to keep you warm in winter are also big here. About as sensible as the local Bronzage tanning parlours.

A cautionary note: The "duty free" shops at Nice airport terminals are the absolute worst value you will ever find and should be avoided at all costs: prices are way over those of even the high street. Food, drink and cigarettes dreadfully overpriced, and there are no bargains "before you fly". If you haven't yet kicked the habit, cigarettes in particular are best bought in Italy over the border, where taxes on smoking have not reached health promoting punitive levels.

• Flower market, Cours Saleya. Tu-Sa 06:00-17:30; Su 06:00-12:00; closed public holidays.
• Marché aux Fruits et Legumes. Tu-Su 06:00-13:00. Food market.
• Antique market. M 07:30-18:00.
• Confisserie Florian, 14, Quai Papacino, +33 493 554 350. M-Sa 09:00-12:00, 14:00-18:30. This gourmet shop has specific jams, sweet fruits and petals, which are traditional from that area. The candied clementine and the rose jam are their fine specialities.

Flower market, Cours Saleya. Tu-Sa 06:00-17:30; Su 06:00-12:00; closed public holidays.

Marché aux Fruits et Legumes. Tu-Su 06:00-13:00. Food market.

Antique market. M 07:30-18:00.

Confisserie Florian, 14, Quai Papacino, +33 493 554 350. M-Sa 09:00-12:00, 14:00-18:30. This gourmet shop has specific jams, sweet fruits and petals, which are traditional from that area. The candied clementine and the rose jam are their fine specialities.

A food called socca, a chickpea flat bread, is a local specialty, as is a tuna fish sandwich called pan bagnat. Other specialities include soupe de poisson (fish soup, made with chili aioli, croutons, and grated cheese), salade niçoise (made with tuna), tourtes aux blettes (sweet tartes made with Savoy cabbage, raisins, nuts, and powdered sugar) and pissaladiere (a type of pizza topped with sauteed onion, olives, garlic and anchovies; it includes no tomatoes or cheese). As may be expected, seafood features prominently in Niçoise cuisine, and several restaurants specialise in sea urchin and oysters.

Check out the daily market in the Vieux Nice for fresh, local produce. You can save a lot of money if you are willing to cook at least some of your meals yourself and if you also eat leftovers, cooking can actually save you time as well since eating at a restaurant will easily cost you one to two hours per meal. There are several decent-sized 'supermarchés' around the city, and numerous boucheries, boulangeries and fruit and veg shops which are often competitive on price and superior on quality.

No visit to Nice would be complete without a trip to Fennochio's in the Place Rosetti to sample their (rightly) world-famous ice cream.

Cheap & cheerful food in Nice is hard to come by if you don't take your time to look for it, though a baguette with different fillings range from €4-6, which is very reasonable by Nice standards.

The best deals in the center can be found in the port area.

Old Nice and all along the sea front the prices cannot be described as budget.

However, lunch-time set menus are certainly good value, if not 'cheap' per se. €10-12 should get you two courses, often with coffee and wine, and like much of continental Europe lunches can drift happily into the afternoon.

• Lou Pilha Leva, Place Centrale, Old Nice. Local dishes including the best tasting Socca, which only costs €2.80. Locals (and the lots of French tourists) seem to love this place and it is often quite busy. Order your food at the counter and take it with you to sit at the benches outside. Try Daube pasta/polenta (€9.50) and soupe au pistou, and socca. Very nice atmosphere and very decent price. Worth a try, even though the baked food can be somewhat soaked in oil. Avoid red wine at this place, though, as they serve it chilled rather than warm.
• Restaurant Le Lodge, 14 Rue Halévy, If you're watching your budget but want to have a gourmet, healthy meal, this is the place to go for lunch. For €11 you get a main course, a drink such as wine, beer or soda and after the meal, a coffee. Try the trio of fish. For €13, add the dessert of the day. Hopefully it's cinnamon crème brûlée. Don't be put off by the one waitress to a full restaurant ratio, the chefs get the food to you quickly. The meal deals are more expensive during the night, starting at €19.
• Sixte Pizza, 15 Rue Jean-Pierre Papon. Pizzas for €6; taking them away to the beach makes for a nice dinner.
• Arlequin Gelati, 9, avenue Malausséna (from the north end of avenue Jean-Médecin, after having passed the train bridge, 150 m north on the left-side of the street. a bit less than €3 for one scoop and €5 for two. Excellent homemade icecream with many flavors available.

Lou Pilha Leva, Place Centrale, Old Nice. Local dishes including the best tasting Socca, which only costs €2.80. Locals (and the lots of French tourists) seem to love this place and it is often quite busy. Order your food at the counter and take it with you to sit at the benches outside. Try Daube pasta/polenta (€9.50) and soupe au pistou, and socca. Very nice atmosphere and very decent price. Worth a try, even though the baked food can be somewhat soaked in oil. Avoid red wine at this place, though, as they serve it chilled rather than warm.

Restaurant Le Lodge, 14 Rue Halévy, If you're watching your budget but want to have a gourmet, healthy meal, this is the place to go for lunch. For €11 you get a main course, a drink such as wine, beer or soda and after the meal, a coffee. Try the trio of fish. For €13, add the dessert of the day. Hopefully it's cinnamon crème brûlée. Don't be put off by the one waitress to a full restaurant ratio, the chefs get the food to you quickly. The meal deals are more expensive during the night, starting at €19.

Sixte Pizza, 15 Rue Jean-Pierre Papon. Pizzas for €6; taking them away to the beach makes for a nice dinner.

Arlequin Gelati, 9, avenue Malausséna (from the north end of avenue Jean-Médecin, after having passed the train bridge, 150 m north on the left-side of the street. a bit less than €3 for one scoop and €5 for two. Excellent homemade icecream with many flavors available.

• Casa Mia, Rue Pontin, Old Nice. Does amazing Italian in a very homely environment. The menus around €20-25 offer excellent value for the service and quality.
• le Delhi Belhi, 22 Rue de la Barillerie, +33-4-93925187. 19:00-23:30 daily. Delhi Belhi is a family-owned and -operated restaurant specializing in Indian cuisine. Open daily for dinner, a-la-carte or prix-fixe menu. Great curries and tandoori specialties. Delhi Belhi is the only Indian restaurant on the entire French riviera that has been included in the prestigious Gault-Millau guides since 2005. Fluent English also spoken here. Behind the popular cours Saleya flower market. This is a very popular restaurant so reservations are highly recommended (at least a few hours ahead). €15-20 per person (alcoholic drinks and wine are extra).
• Le Shalimar, 11 Rue Biscarra, +33-4-93139578. Has tasty Indian food. The lunch menus are a good deal.
• Restaurant du Gésu, 1, Place Jésus, +33 4 9362 2646. In the heart of Vieux Nice, this is a friendly, vibrant, old-fashioned restaurant with as much Italian influence as Provencale. The beignets and daube with gnocchi are particularly good. €15-€30.

• Mad'In Viet, 2 Place Saétone, +33 493 874 755. Vietnamese restaurant. Serves good Vietnamese food at affordable prices. Rice is not included in the dishes but ordered separately. Chopsticks are provided but you have to ask for a fork and a knife. The staff are very friendly but speak next to no English, so be prepared to order in French. Main courses €12-20.

Casa Mia, Rue Pontin, Old Nice. Does amazing Italian in a very homely environment. The menus around €20-25 offer excellent value for the service and quality.

le Delhi Belhi, 22 Rue de la Barillerie, +33-4-93925187. 19:00-23:30 daily. Delhi Belhi is a family-owned and -operated restaurant specializing in Indian cuisine. Open daily for dinner, a-la-carte or prix-fixe menu. Great curries and tandoori specialties. Delhi Belhi is the only Indian restaurant on the entire French riviera that has been included in the prestigious Gault-Millau guides since 2005. Fluent English also spoken here. Behind the popular cours Saleya flower market. This is a very popular restaurant so reservations are highly recommended (at least a few hours ahead). €15-20 per person (alcoholic drinks and wine are extra).

Le Shalimar, 11 Rue Biscarra, +33-4-93139578. Has tasty Indian food. The lunch menus are a good deal.

Restaurant du Gésu, 1, Place Jésus, +33 4 9362 2646. In the heart of Vieux Nice, this is a friendly, vibrant, old-fashioned restaurant with as much Italian influence as Provencale. The beignets and daube with gnocchi are particularly good. €15-€30.

Mad'In Viet, 2 Place Saétone, +33 493 874 755. Vietnamese restaurant. Serves good Vietnamese food at affordable prices. Rice is not included in the dishes but ordered separately. Chopsticks are provided but you have to ask for a fork and a knife. The staff are very friendly but speak next to no English, so be prepared to order in French. Main courses €12-20.

• Le Safari, +33 4 93 80 18 44. 1, cours Saleya. Long established in the old quarter, now caters more for tourists than the locals. This reflects in the price and language spoken by those dining next to you. Overpriced compared to other local similar establishments. For a 3-course meal with wine, expect to pay more than €60/person.
• Le Tire Bouchon, Rue de la Préfecture/Rue de l'Abbaye 19, +33 04 93 92 63 64. Located in the center of Nice, Le Tire Bouchon is an attractive, desirable restaurant to enjoy a gourmet meal. The restaurant has a picturesque atmosphere which everyone is sure to enjoy.

Le Safari, +33 4 93 80 18 44. 1, cours Saleya. Long established in the old quarter, now caters more for tourists than the locals. This reflects in the price and language spoken by those dining next to you. Overpriced compared to other local similar establishments. For a 3-course meal with wine, expect to pay more than €60/person.

Le Tire Bouchon, Rue de la Préfecture/Rue de l'Abbaye 19, +33 04 93 92 63 64. Located in the center of Nice, Le Tire Bouchon is an attractive, desirable restaurant to enjoy a gourmet meal. The restaurant has a picturesque atmosphere which everyone is sure to enjoy.

With the hot Niçois summers, carrying a bottle of water is almost a must. Bear in mind the largest single complaint to the municipal authority tourist department is the offering in restaurants of branded water bottles whose seal has been broken - i.e. refilled with tap water - and charged as Perrier or Evian.

You can save a lot of money by buying alcoholic drinks and such in a normal supermarket instead of the vendors geared towards tourists. Carrefour has a huge selection and unlike the other supermarkets has a policy of buying in wine show "prize winners" distinguished by their gold, silver or bronze medal stickers.

Some popular places to go out for a drink include:

• Ma Nolan's. — Right in the heart of the 'Old Town' and next to the opera, Ma Nolan's has everything you would expect from an Irish pub and more. Live music every night, major sporting events on four screens, really good food and very friendly staff. This place is a must.
• Akathor Pub. — Big Scandinavian/Irish Pub with live music every night. On two floors with a large terrace this place is expensive but chill. Many of the larger hotels (such as the Holiday Inn) have 2-for-1 drink coupons which can be easily obtained even if you are not a guest.
• Blue Whales — Stays open until the wee hours of the morning.
• Wayne's. — An old school bar with live music and theme nights, a bit coyote ugly meets cheers. When the place is crowded, people dance on the tables. It's somewhat expensive to drink here (but Wayne's isn't alone with this characteristic), but definitely one of the most fun/party places in Nice. English-speaking tourists also seem to gravitate to this bar, but you'll also meet lots of French people or locals here.
• Checkpoint — A cozy bar on the ground level, and a great dance floor underground. Ladies night on Monday offers 0.50€ champagne (as of Feb 2013).
• Le Marches — Lounge style bar on two floors with cocktails and tapas.
• Master Home — A pub by Wayne's and King's Pub. More "French" than Wayne's and King's pubs and a little more classy. When you order alcoholic drinks, they bring you two or three dishes of nibbles. Even though the price is a little more expensive than the "English" pubs next door, it's still worth a visit and a fraction cheaper that the touristy bars/pubs. Try the rose (€3.20), the cheapest on the menu but delicious!
• Pompeï — Stays open late, live music most nights (usually rock), good dancing on the weekends, indoor smoking room, next to Wayne's and the other Irish pubs - everyone flocks here after they close.
• Jonathan's — If you're looking to meet locals, go to Jonathan's. Small hole-in-the-wall place full of younger people (mostly students) with great drink specials most nights. Not very well known by tourists.

Wine in restaurants is often ferociously expensive, so do as the locals and order it by the "pichet" - usually a 50 centilitre jug. However, if you fancy quality appellation French wine to drink back home, Les Caves Caprioglio at 16 Rue de la Prefecture in Vieux Nice has a fabulous cellar of the wines you usually only read about in the fine wines books but rarely see. To see French wine making, the Chateau's Bellet and Cremat in the Var are nearest to Nice and will do tours by arrangement (reachable via the tiny narrow-gauge train from the Chemin de Fer de Provence).

• L’Essenciel, Boulevard Victor Hugo 50 (On top of the Splendid hotel, +33 04 93164157. 07:00-00:30 but depending on the season. Lounge bar at the pool on top of the hotel. Relaxed atmosphere and great views over the city. €10 cocktails.

Ma Nolan's. — Right in the heart of the 'Old Town' and next to the opera, Ma Nolan's has everything you would expect from an Irish pub and more. Live music every night, major sporting events on four screens, really good food and very friendly staff. This place is a must.

Akathor Pub. — Big Scandinavian/Irish Pub with live music every night. On two floors with a large terrace this place is expensive but chill. Many of the larger hotels (such as the Holiday Inn) have 2-for-1 drink coupons which can be easily obtained even if you are not a guest.

Blue Whales — Stays open until the wee hours of the morning.

Wayne's. — An old school bar with live music and theme nights, a bit coyote ugly meets cheers. When the place is crowded, people dance on the tables. It's somewhat expensive to drink here (but Wayne's isn't alone with this characteristic), but definitely one of the most fun/party places in Nice. English-speaking tourists also seem to gravitate to this bar, but you'll also meet lots of French people or locals here.

Checkpoint — A cozy bar on the ground level, and a great dance floor underground. Ladies night on Monday offers 0.50€ champagne (as of Feb 2013).

Le Marches — Lounge style bar on two floors with cocktails and tapas.

Master Home — A pub by Wayne's and King's Pub. More "French" than Wayne's and King's pubs and a little more classy. When you order alcoholic drinks, they bring you two or three dishes of nibbles. Even though the price is a little more expensive than the "English" pubs next door, it's still worth a visit and a fraction cheaper that the touristy bars/pubs. Try the rose (€3.20), the cheapest on the menu but delicious!

Pompeï — Stays open late, live music most nights (usually rock), good dancing on the weekends, indoor smoking room, next to Wayne's and the other Irish pubs - everyone flocks here after they close.

Jonathan's — If you're looking to meet locals, go to Jonathan's. Small hole-in-the-wall place full of younger people (mostly students) with great drink specials most nights. Not very well known by tourists.

L’Essenciel, Boulevard Victor Hugo 50 (On top of the Splendid hotel, +33 04 93164157. 07:00-00:30 but depending on the season. Lounge bar at the pool on top of the hotel. Relaxed atmosphere and great views over the city. €10 cocktails.

Nice's crime rate is comparable to other cities in western countries. Nevertheless, locals have been grumbling about a number of issues since the 2000s, often with good reasons. Basic precautions are needed at times.

Nice is known to be the city in France with the highest number of police officers per capita – and since the tragic 2016 event by the promenade, Nice hosts a large number of military patrols. They can be somewhat intimidating to meet, especially in the middle of the night, however they are there to maintain an air of control. Most French people maintain their weapons are fake, and they will normally never interact with you.

As with other larger cities, Nice has areas that must be avoided. The most commonly cited areas are :

• l'Arianne and la Trinité, both in the east parts of the city, are known hotbeds for gang violence. It is highly discouraged to wander there at night.
• Some of the neighborhoods immediately north of the airport have been the stages of pickpocketing.
• The Thiers neighborhood, immediately south of the Nice-Ville train station, has a few unsavory streets.

A few tips to stay safe are:

• Don't take unlicensed "taxis"! That applies doubly so at times like the Film Festival, especially if you are female and have been drinking and partying late.
• Take precautions against pickpockets, who are a constant and serious problem on the Côte d'Azur. They operate usually in teams in any crowded areas like buses, train stations, and tourist sites. Be vigilant at the tram station, Gare Thiers, where pickpockets prey on travel-weary tourists. They may well look like harmless fellow passengers, but they are extremely skilled and will lift your wallet from either your front or back pants pocket without your noticing. You are strongly advised not to carry anything valuable or annoying to replace in your pockets. Use pouches underneath your clothing for anything valuable, including cash. In restaurants and cafés, opportunist theft of handbags is a constant risk - keep them close at hand.
• If you are travelling by car, take care not to leave anything of value in the car when parking. Theft from car boots is a particular issue in underground parking beneath the Nice old town. Leaving the parcel shelf off so that it's clear the boot is empty is a good way to avoid problems.
• Judging from local newspaper reports, personal safety concerns are most likely to arise after 02:30, and visitors should stick to well lit streets with people still around.

If you do fall foul of Nice's criminal practitioners, the National Police Station is where you need to go to report problems such as being pickpocketed. It's at the junction of Ave Marechal Foch and Dubouchage, a couple of hundred metres east of the Nice Etoiles shopping centre. They will supply you with the necessary statements to support insurance claims, but don't expect them to recover your property. You will find the police station very busy with other victims towards the end of the evening.

Check out Carrefour, most of them have free Wi-Fi.

Holy mass in Catholic churches in the vicinity of the convention centre Acropolis (Palais des Congrès et des Expositions):

• Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice, 36, Place Don Bosco. Sa 18:30, Su 08:30 and 10:00, M-F 16:15 and 18:30.
• St. Joseph, 21, Rue Smolett. Sa 18:30, Su 09:00, Th 18:00.
• Saint Jean-Baptiste, Place du Voeu/Rue Alfrede Mortier. Sa 18:00, Su 11:00, M-W 18:45, Th-F 08:30.
• St. Martin-St. Augustin, Place Saint-Augustin. Sa 16:00 and 17:30, Su 09:30 and 11:00, Tu-F 16:00.

Some other Catholic churches in downtown Nice:

• Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, Place Rossetti. Sa 6:30PM, Su 10AM and noon, M-F 10AM.
• Notre Dame du Port, 8, Place Ile de Beaute. Sun 10AM, M-F 6PM.
• Basilique Notre Dame, 2, Rue d’Italie. Sa 11AM and 5:40PM, Su 8:30AM, 10AM, 11:15AM, 6PM, M-F 11AM, 6PM.

• Reformed temple, 21, blvd Victor Hugo. Su 10:15.
• Lutheran church, 4, Rue Melchior de Vogüé. Su 10:30.
• Baptist church, 32 rue de l'hôtel des postes. Su 10:30.
• Evangelical church, 51bis, avenue de Pessicart. Su 10:00.
• Anglican church Holy Trinity, 11, rue de la Buffa. Su 11:00, M&Th 12:15, Tu 18:15, W&F 10:30, Sa 09:00.

Reformed temple, 21, blvd Victor Hugo. Su 10:15.

Lutheran church, 4, Rue Melchior de Vogüé. Su 10:30.

Baptist church, 32 rue de l'hôtel des postes. Su 10:30.

Evangelical church, 51bis, avenue de Pessicart. Su 10:00.

Anglican church Holy Trinity, 11, rue de la Buffa. Su 11:00, M&Th 12:15, Tu 18:15, W&F 10:30, Sa 09:00.

• Greek orthodox church Saint Spyridon, 2, Avenue Desambrois. Su 10:30, M-Sa 10:15.
• Russian orthodox cathedral Saint Nicolas, Avenue Nicolas II. Su-Sa 10:00.
• Apostolic Armenian church, 281 Boulevard de la Madeleine. Su 10:00.

Greek orthodox church Saint Spyridon, 2, Avenue Desambrois. Su 10:30, M-Sa 10:15.

Russian orthodox cathedral Saint Nicolas, Avenue Nicolas II. Su-Sa 10:00.

Apostolic Armenian church, 281 Boulevard de la Madeleine. Su 10:00.

• (Sunni) Mosque in Rue de Suisse (in the city centre, near the cathedral - open at prayer times only)

(Sunni) Mosque in Rue de Suisse (in the city centre, near the cathedral - open at prayer times only)

• (Sephardic) Beit Yossef 16 rue Alexis Mossa

(Sephardic) Beit Yossef 16 rue Alexis Mossa

Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice, 36, Place Don Bosco. Sa 18:30, Su 08:30 and 10:00, M-F 16:15 and 18:30.

St. Joseph, 21, Rue Smolett. Sa 18:30, Su 09:00, Th 18:00.

Saint Jean-Baptiste, Place du Voeu/Rue Alfrede Mortier. Sa 18:00, Su 11:00, M-W 18:45, Th-F 08:30.

St. Martin-St. Augustin, Place Saint-Augustin. Sa 16:00 and 17:30, Su 09:30 and 11:00, Tu-F 16:00.

Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate, Place Rossetti. Sa 6:30PM, Su 10AM and noon, M-F 10AM.

Notre Dame du Port, 8, Place Ile de Beaute. Sun 10AM, M-F 6PM.

Basilique Notre Dame, 2, Rue d’Italie. Sa 11AM and 5:40PM, Su 8:30AM, 10AM, 11:15AM, 6PM, M-F 11AM, 6PM.

• Austria Austria, 6, Avenue de Verdun, +33 493 87 01 31.
• Finland Finland, Hotel Radisson SAS, 223, promenade des Anglais, +33 4 92 13 25 04.
• Germany Germany, 'Le Minotaure', 5e étage, 34, av. Henri Matisse, +33 4 93 83 55 25.
• Greece Greece, 2, Avenue Desambrois, +33 493 85 41 40.
• Jamaica Jamaica, Hotel Splendid, 50, Blvd. Victor Hugo, +33 6 60 44 67 27.
• Mali Mali, 301, Boulevard de l'Obervatoire, +33 4 93 26 55 97.

Austria Austria, 6, Avenue de Verdun, +33 493 87 01 31.

Finland Finland, Hotel Radisson SAS, 223, promenade des Anglais, +33 4 92 13 25 04.

Germany Germany, 'Le Minotaure', 5e étage, 34, av. Henri Matisse, +33 4 93 83 55 25.

Greece Greece, 2, Avenue Desambrois, +33 493 85 41 40.

Jamaica Jamaica, Hotel Splendid, 50, Blvd. Victor Hugo, +33 6 60 44 67 27.

Mali Mali, 301, Boulevard de l'Obervatoire, +33 4 93 26 55 97.

Some nice places just to the west of Nice include Haute de Cagnes, Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Tropez. East of Nice the trains stops at Villefranche, Monaco and Menton, and the border town of Ventimiglia. To the North of Nice in the interior of Provence, Vence and Saint-Paul de Vence are worth a visit for their hilltop old towns and boules pitches.

• Villefranche is two stops east of the main station in Nice and is a rather nice village with a small beach (and it is much less rocky than in Nice). The village is quieter and more relaxed than Nice. A train ticket from the main station in Nice is just €1.70 each way. You can also get there by bus 81 or 100 — or by taking the scenic walk by the cliffs in little over an hour.
• Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: Among the many expensive villas on this cape, Villa Ephrussi de Rotschild is the most impressive one. You can walk around the cape on a pathway and stop for a swim.
• Beaulieu-sur-mer: Right next to Cap Ferrat, this small town is known for the beach and Villa Kerylos, a Greek-style property built in the early 1900s.
• Liguria - the Italian Riviera including San Remo that is just a little over one hour away, switch trains in Ventimiglia
• Èze village — a few hour-long hike from Nice, Èze is a medieval village and well worth seeing, if only over a day.
• Visit the beautiful mountainous Touët-sur-Var, Puget-Théniers, Entrevaux, Annot, and even Verdon Gorge from along the narrow gauge Train des Pignes stops between Nice and Digne-les-Bains. Admire the castles or just hike the surrounding treks of each village.

Visit the beautiful mountainous [[Touët-sur-Var]], [[Puget-Théniers]], [[Entrevaux]], [[Annot]], and even [[Verdon Gorge]] from along the narrow gauge [[#By train|Train des Pignes]] stops between Nice and [[Digne-les-Bains]]. Admire the castles or just hike the surrounding treks of each village.